English Radio Program

06 August 2008

SISTER FREDA, 2

…do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. Deuteronomy 15:7

Harold Sala: My wife Darlene is sharing the microphone with me, going half way around the world from where we're sitting right now to Kitale , Kenya . Kenya has been in the news a great deal in recent days. And Darlene, right in the midst of this you were writing a book. Tell us about your book.

Darlene Sala: I was. The book is called Heart of Compassion, Hands of Care . And it's the story of Freda Robinson, a lady who saw deep need around her and decided that she must do something about it.

HS: If someone had never met Sister Freda and they said, “What kind of a woman is this? What would you tell them?”

DS: I would tell them that she is a woman of compassion. She's also a very capable woman. She was head nurse at the best hospital in the city of Kitale at one time. And she gave this up in order to give medical care to the people who were around her in the slum villages that needed help so badly.

HS: You know I'm not sure where you came up with that title, but Heart of Compassion, Hands of Care aptly describes this woman. The hospital reaches out to all kinds of people – people who have money, people don't have money. Until recently there was no electricity at this hospital, believe it or not. But subsequently, electricity—as the result of what Guidelines has been able to do—has come to the hospital. Can you take a minute and tell us about this?

DS: I am really excited about this. Not only does this cut down on the expenses that they've had there in running a generator with gasoline or diesel, but it lets them use medical equipment that's been donated, that they could not use before because they didn't have the power to run it.

HS: Only about two percent of the people who come to her clinic can really pay. So how do they feed the people, and what else does Freda do?

DS: Sometimes I wonder how they feed the people. There's just such a need there. But they do grow food on the land and that helps a great deal. And then God sends people who have compassion for what she's doing, and they help.

HS: I never cease to be amazed how God brings people together who have different skills and different callings and they complement each other. Now there is a husband here who is a vital part of this, but he's kind of the quiet one. Will you tell us about Richard?

DS: Richard was born in Africa , but he is of British descent. And it's been interesting to see how their marriage has blended East and West and helped them reach the needs of the people there. Richard is a good businessman. He loves farming, so he's in charge of the farm. And they absolutely complement each other. The clinic would not be in existence today if it wasn't that Richard had donated land so that they could have the clinic there.

HS: So the two of them work hand in hand together, and the end result is they do a lot, not only for people right there on the compound, but like going into a village–for example, Kipsongo. This is a squatters' area. Tell us about it.

DS: Yes, this is a tribal area where people had to leave their area because of riots and all that was taking place. They came to Kitale and the government let them settle on this land. But, oh, they are so poor. And Freda goes there and conducts clinics—meets them and helps them with their physical problems.

HS: You have seen a lot of things. But what you friends don't know is that when we went to this area, it was so overwhelming that Darlene fainted and we had to carry her out. The needs are so great. Freda, however, responds to those needs with real compassion. I know your heart will be touched as mine was when you read the book, too. And you should be able to find it in your local Christian bookstore at the present time or certainly in the next few days. However, if you go to www.guidelines.org and then visit our book nook, you can read about it and find it there. Heart of Compassion, Hands of Care .

Resource reading: Deuteronomy 15:7-11.